Manually operated surgical instrument



April 23, 1957 F. KNOWLES MANUALLY OPERATED SURGICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 14, 1956 Inventor If Fred L; Knowles A-Horneyl United States Patent The present invention relates to a surgical instrument in the general nature of a pair of pliers or the like.

In my prior patent, No. 2,677,369, there is disclosed and claimed an apparatus in the nature of blocks for insertion between the posterior processes of the spinal column for relieving an unstable back of an individual.

The tool of the present invention was devised for handling these blocks and for putting them in place. One of the principal advantages of the tool is the ability to apply pressure to the object held in the jaws of the tool either by way of a regular pressure 'sustainingly applied to the object or by way of intermittent pressure applied in the nature of blows. Thisis achieved by the straight member employed having a "jaw on one end to fit about the object, which jaw is in a direct line with the other end of the member which may form a striking surface. A second member is employed :in cooperation with the first member to releasably hold the object or block in the jaw of the first member.

Other objects and advantages will 'become apparent from the following description taken-in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of an embodiment of theyinvention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the embodiment with an object gripped in the jaws of the tool; and

Figure 3 is a section through line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the tool comprises a bar member generally 10 and a locking member generally 11 pivotally connected by means of a screw 12.

The bar member 10 has a socket 13 at one end thereof. The socket has a configuration only slightly larger than about half the cross sectional configuration of the object 14 to be held in the tool (see Figure 3). It will be noted that the bar member is straight from socket 13 to the other end of the member. The other end 15 of the member 10 may form a striking surface. This is an important feature of the construction in that it provides for pressure to be applied against the object 14 by the tool. Since the socket 13, which forms the jaw, is about one-half the cross sectional configuration of the object 14, the object may be readily inserted and removed from the jaw.

Bar 10 has a slot 17 positioned therein. The slot is in a plane parallel to the plane of the socket 13 and intersects the end of the bar 10 in which end the socket 13 is formed. Locking member 11 is positioned within this slot and is held therein by screw 12. Screw 12 passes loosely through locking member 11 and is threaded into the portion of bar member 10 at one side of slot 17.

The end of locking member 11 adjacent socket 13 has a hook 18 in the side thereof adjacent said socket, which hook is curved to fit around a portion of the outstanding side of object 14 when said object is positioned in socket 13 and is used to securely hold the object in the socket (see Figure 3).

The two portions 19 and 20 of members 10 and 11, respectively, opposite the socket 13 form handles for se "ice 2 curing "the object 14 in the socket. These handles -19 and 20 are moved apart .so as to open the entrance to socket 13 and permit the object 14 to be inserted therein. After the object has been inserted in the socket the two handles .19 and 20 are pivoted toward each other causing hook 18 to extend around a portion of the projecting side of the object 14 and lock the object in socket :13. The position of the members when the object is thus locked in the socket is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3:. The object may then be inserted into place .and, when desired, force applied to end of the 'bar member to aid in inserting the object. It will .be noticed that this force is directly communicated to socket 1'3 and thus to object 14 because of the special configuration of the tool. After the object has been emplaced the two handles 19 and may be separated to release the object 14 from the socket.

A particular feature of thi tool in using it Ifor'the purpose described in my Patent No. 2,677,369., is :the

"thickness of the tool in relationship to the height of ob- -ject 14. It will be noted in Figure 2 that the thickness of the tool is substantially less than the height of object 14. This permits the tool to be employed in inserting the object without being obstructed by other objects encountered in the location in which the tool is to be used. Furthermore, while the hook 18 extends sufficiently around the object 14 to hold the object securely in :the socket 13, it will be noted in Figure 3 that the hook only goes a slight distance past the median line of object 14,

which median line is about the same distance as the jaw 13 extends around object 14. Thus the hook.18 will not be obstructed from releasing .from about object 14 after the object has been emplaced.

The foregoing detailed description .is only for clearness of understanding and for the purpose of complying with 35'U. S. C. 11 2, and I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A surgical instrument for use in conjunction with an object having a given cross sectional configuration, said instrument including an elongated bar member, said member having a socket at one end thereof, said socket being of the general shape of half of said configuration and only slightly larger than said configuration whereby said object may be moved into said socket with a side of said object exposed outwardly of said socket and may be moved again out of said socket, said socket having the open side thereof in a plane generally normal to the elongated axis of said member, and a locking member connected to said bar member, one end of said locking member having a hook on the side thereof adjacent said socket, said connection of said locking member to said bar member being constructed and arranged to permit said one end of said two members to be moved toward and away from each other, said hook being positioned to fit about at least a portion of the exposed side of an object positioned in said socket to hold said object in said socket, said object being released from said socket by moving said one end of said two members away from each other.

2. A surgical instrument for use in conjunction with an object having a given cross sectional configuration, said instrument including an elongated straight bar member, said member having a socket at one end thereof, said socket being of the general shape of half of said configuration and only slightly larger than said configuration whereby said object may be moved into said socket with a side of said object exposed outwardly of said socket and may be moved again out of said socket, said socket having the open side thereof in a plane generally normal said locking member having a hook on the side thereof adjacent said socket, said hook being positioned to fit about-at least a'portion of the exposed side of an object positioned-insaid socket to hold said object in said socket, said object being released from said socket by pivoting said one end of said two members away from each other. '3. A surgical instrument for use in conjunction with an .object having a given cross sectional configuration, said instrument including an elongated straight bar member, said member having a socket at one end thereof, said socket being of the general shape of half of said con- .figuration and only slightly larger than said configuration whereby said object may be moved into said socket with aiside of said object exposed outwardly of said socket and may be moved again out of said socket, said socket having the open side thereof in a plane generally normal .to the elongated axis of said member, said bar member having a slot therein'intersecting said one end and extending part of the distance to the other end of the bar, said slot being in a plane parallel to said socket, and a locking member positioned in said slot and pivotally connected to said bar member adjacent said one end of said .bar member, one end of said locking member having a hook on the side thereof adjacent aid socket, said hook being positioned to fit about at least a portion of the exposed side of an object positioned in said socket to hold said object in said socket, said object being released from said socket by pivoting aid one end of said two members away from each other.

4. A surgical instrument for use in conjunction with an object having a given cross sectional configuration and height, said instrument including an elongated straight bar memben'said member having a socket at one end thereof, said socket being of the general shape of half of said configuration and only slightly larger than said configuration whereby said object may be moved into said socket with a side of said object exposed outwardly of said socket and may be moved again out of said socket, said socket having the open side thereof in a plane generally normal to the elongated axis of said member, and a locking member pivotally connected to said bar mem- 4 ber, said members at said socket having a total thickness less than said height, one end of said locking member having a hook on the side thereof adjacent said socket,

said hook being positioned to fit about less than half of the exposed side of an object positioned in said socket to hold said object in said socket, said object being released from said socket by pivoting said one end of said two members away from each other.

5. A surgical instrument for use in conjunction with an object having a given cross sectional configuration, said instrument including an elongated bar member, said member having a socket at one end thereof, said socket being of the general shape of half of said configuration and only slightly larger than said configuration whereby said object may be moved into said socket with a side of said object exposed outwardly of said socket and may be moved again out of said socket, said socket having the open side thereof in a plane generally normal to the elongated axis, of said member, the two sides of said socket extending from the base of said socket a distance substantially less than the length of said cross sectional configuration, said member having a striking surface at the other end thereof, and a locking member connected to said bar member, one end of said locking member having a hook on the ide thereof adjacent said socket, said connection of said locking member to said bar member being constructed and arranged to permit said one end of said two members to be moved toward and away from each other, said hook being positioned to fit about at least a portion of the exposed side of an object positioned in said socket to hold said object in said socket, said object being released from said socket by moving said one end of said two members away from each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 172,520 Sullings Ian. 18, 1876 219,999 Thomas Sept. 23, 1879 2,458,786 Lagergren Jan. 11, 1949 2,537,607 Stone Ian. 9, 1951 2,544,707 Margolis Mar. 13, 1951 

